2 www.focusnewsmagazine.com Friday, December 14, 2012
AD{TS2075929}
INSTANTLY
R ECOGNIZABLE
SO IS THE DEAL
DECEMBER 17th - 30th
ONLY
Buy at dealer invoice
but only for a limited time.
Some restrictions apply, see dealer for details.
-6 pm; ...

Robertson new Warden of Huron County
MacLellan's push for
two-year term may
have cost him
Paul Cluff
Goderich Signal-Star
It was one and done for Warden
Bernie MacLellan.
Not long aft er successfully pushing
for a two-year term for Huron County's
Warden, MacLellan was voted out by
fellow councilors at their inaugural
session, Wed. Dec. 5.
George Robertson is the new Warden
and fi rst under the new 24-month term,
which County Councilors approved by
a 9-7 vote just last month.
"I lobbied hard, talked to everyone on
council," said Robertson, Mayor of South
Huron. "Even right up until today I didn't
know who was voting for me."
Th e new Warden may never know.
There was speculation that those
who voted for and against the two-year
Warden term issue would follow suit.
Th at was a recorded vote. Councilors
voted for the Warden by secret ballot.
"I think it had a lot to do with it (the
vote)," Robertson suggested.
An Exeter resident, Robertson had
30 years of military and police service
under ...

Friday, December 14, 2012 * www.focusnewsmagazine.com 5
■ Avon-Maitland District School Board
Avon-Maitland fi rst board to strike
Elementary teachers strike
Dec. 10
Laura Cudworth
QMI Agency
Avon Maitland elementary teachers were
the fi rst in the province to walk out of the
classroom.
Elementary teachers went on strike Mon. Dec.
10. All elementary Avon Maitland District School
Board (AMDSB) schools were closed as a result.
"They're in a legal strike position. We're
disappointed this is necessary. We'd prefer our
teachers in front of students," Randy Wagler, vicechair
of the board, said ahead of the strike.
Th e Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario
announced it would begin revolving strikes and
provide school boards with 72 hours' notice.
Teachers will leave the classroom for one day and
return the following day. Students were back at
school on Tuesday.
"Obviously it's a disruption - and that's the
intent," said Ted Doherty, director of education.
However, he noted many parent ...

6 www.focusnewsmagazine.com Friday, December 14, 2012
■ Viewpoint
Editorial
Democracy is great, despite its shortcomings
One of the great things about
democracy is people get to vote and
choose who they think can best
represent them.
Th e reality is that while we get to
vote from age 18 and up, how each
particular democratic system works
is oft en diff erent.
In Huron County, for example,
they put two names in a hat and pull
one out to determine the winner.
Well, not quite, but we'll get to that.
Recently, more voters in the
United States voted for Mitt Romney
than Barack Obama, however,
Obama won the Electoral College, a
system the U.S. uses to determine a
winner.
Each state gets a certain amount of
electoral votes, from three in smaller
states like Delaware to California's
55. Republicans have argued for a
change to the system. It has its fl aws
(George Bush, the state of Florida
every election) but Republicans have
won the Electoral College, so they
can't complain too much when th ...

Th e editor of 'Th e Exeter
Times Advocate' (January
28, 1954) ignited a fi restorm
when he urged that the new
court house should be build
in Clinton. He argued that
"it would be to the advantage
of residents in South Huron
if the county sear were in the
'hub town' of Huron." 'Th e
Clinton News-Record' (Feb.
11, 1954) was quick to agree
as he 'uttered a silent thank
you to the Times-Advocate.'
Th ey defended Clinton as 'the
ideal location' for the county
seat because of its central
location.
Not surprisingly, 'The
Signal-Star' countered that
Goderich was historically the
county seat with the largest
population. And besides,
how many counties in Ontario
have their county town in the
geographical centre?' 'Signal
Star' editor George Ellis cited
Walkerton in Bruce County,
Owen Sound in Grey and
Sarnia in Lambton County as
examples where the county
seat is in the extremity of the
counties.
Th roughout February 1954,
the editorial pages of the
county newspaper were ablaze
with strongly word ...

8 www.focusnewsmagazine.com Friday, December 14, 2012
■ Cental Huron
Municipality not interested in purchase of Holmesville school
Besides council, meeting had
only three attendees
Melissa Murray
QMI Agency
Three members of the public attended a meeting hosted
by Central Huron to determine the whether the
community was interested in having the municipality
purchase the building.
AD{TS2092162}
120 Huckins St. Goderich, ON
519-524-2614
"I think we got the answer based on how many people came
out," said Ginn of the municipality buying the building.
Municipalities get fi rst off er on the school buildings when
they close and they have 90 days to tell the school boards
whether they will purchase the building at fair market value.
"We're here to hear whether there are any ideas in the public
or concerns or other ways that we can at least help keep the
village of Holmesville vibrant," said Central Huron Mayor Jim
Ginn to start the meeting.
Talk of p ...

Record growing season
for area farmers
Despite a growing season
featuring extreme weather
conditions, Ontario farmers
have produced the largest soybean
and grain corn crops in the province's
history.
The bumper harvests come in a
year when prices for the two crops
- traditionally the biggest cash crop
earners for Ontario farmers - have been
buoyed by severe drought conditions in
the U.S. midwest.
Statistics Canada reported Wednesday
that soybean production in Ontario
reached a record 3.3 million tonnes, up
Huron County History
continued from page 7
Almost a century aft er the old court
house was dedication, Premier Leslie
Frost officially opened the new court
house on May 29, 1956. Exeter Mayor, R.
E. Pooley organized the Royal Canadian
Legion honour guard. The Canadian
Guards Band in ceremonial uniforms
'added a touch of majesty' to the historic
event. At least 10 000 people toured the
new court house that day. In honour
of the historic occasion, Premier Frost
declared that June 4 was ...

10 www.focusnewsmagazine.com Friday, December 14, 2012
■ Huron As I See It
There is a reason for this season...
Who doesn't enjoy the lights,
decorations, children's sparkling
eyes and conviviality of this darkearly
time of year?
And yet, it feels as though the Christmas lustre
is being tarnished, the essence of it diluted by
censorship.
Folks, the reason we have this holiday is
as much about tradition as it is about a story
adopted by religious groups a very long time
ago.
Yet Christmas trees are now "festive trees" and
in recent years, people wear buttons declaring
it's OK to wish them "Merry Christmas."
Rightly or wrongly, Christmas has become
more than a religious holiday, regardless of its
name. And its intriguing history illustrates the
controversy that has long surrounded it.
Romans fi rst introduced a December 17-25
holiday named Saturnalia, one which featured
licentious excesses of all kinds and even human
sacrifi ce.
In the 4th century C.E., Christianity imported
the Saturn ...